Hot Stove: Under the radar MLB free agents who could pay off

For teams like the Braves, Cubs, and Yankees, the Hot Stove season is off and running. For others, MLB free agents signings seem more like chilly meat lockers.

While most of the news has been about big-name MLB free agents that nearly every team wants – like Bryce Harper, Patrick Corbin, and Nathan Eovaldi, there are several under-the-radar free agents who could pay off in the right spot.

Consider what happened in 2018 with Steve Pearce who has moved up and down the Eastern Seaboard as a free agent. As an under-the-radar free agent in 2016, he signed with the Blue Jays and was traded in June 2018 to the Red Sox. This unlikely hero led the Red Sox to the World Series and was justly awarded the MVP trophy.

It’s expected that Manny Machado, Michael Brantley, and Andrew Miller will help take a contending team to the next level. But, what about the players like Pearce. Those guys who are in the MLB for a reason, but their names don’t carry that special cachet – yet.

The 2018-2019 free agent class has an unprecedented amount of talent. Every position is filled with All-Stars, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger winners. The teams that could be built from just free agents could be post-season contenders. But, at every position, there is at least one free agent who could change the course of any team. They might not get the attention of the national media, but they could deliver just like Steve Pearce did just a few weeks ago.

With all the talk about the Marlins possibly trading J.T. Realmuto, the free-agent catcher market hasn’t gotten much attention.

There were 20 on the market and all of them are age 30 or older. Three have already been signed including Kurt Suzuki, Brian McCann, and Jeff Mathis. Chris Gimenez was on the list, but he chose to retire and was quickly nabbed by the Dodgers to be a coach.

This leaves several good catchers, but the one that could prove to be a valuable addition is Matt Wieters. He spent the last few seasons with the Nats, but they replaced him with Suzuki. And, after Wieters began his career with the Orioles, it might be time for the 33-year-old to leave the Beltway.

Wieters is coming off of a season where he only played in 76 games, which is a long way off of the three All-Star seasons where he played in over 120 games. Since moving to the Nats, he hasn’t performed up to the standards he set with the O’s. The career .251/.315/.410 hitter managed a weak .230/.303/.355 in the NL.

With the Orioles, Wieters was a fan favorite. He came through in clutch situations and has the honor of being the third Orioles catcher to have a five-hit game. In 2016, he hit two home runs, one while batting from the left, the other while batting from the right. He is also one of the few players in the league to have accepted a Qualifying Offer – he did this in 2015 with the Orioles.

He’s been rather quiet with the Nats and his free agency hasn’t been talked about much. But, Wieters is a capable catcher and hitter. In 2011-2013, he hit over 20 home runs in all three seasons. In 2013, he hit a league-leading 12 sac flies, proving he’s quality teammate between the lines.

He has proven to be a difference maker and with the right team, he could be that guy that surprises everyone. In 2016 with the Orioles, he made $15.8 million, but with the Nats, he earned $10.5 million in 2017 and 2018. With his drop in stats, the right team should be able to get him for less.

Where could he go? Any team that needs a catcher, like the Dodgers, Tigers, Athletics, and Astros. It would be nice to see him go to a team outside of the AL or NL East.

It is safe to say that 2018 was not kind to Hanley Ramirez (or vice versa?). After being DFA’d by the Red Sox early in the season, he’s working on a comeback.

According to news from Andrew Mahoney with Boston.com, he’s hitting like he once did in the MLB. His latest stats are impressive: .308/.424/.654 with three doubles, two home runs, and seven RBI in 26 at-bats with the Tigres de Licey.

After no teams picked him up post-DFA, Ramirez might not be on anyone’s radar for the 2019 season. The first-baseman free-agent choices include players like Logan Morrison, Matt Adams, and Lucas Duda. The most notable name on the list, Steve Pearce, was re-signed by the BoSox right away.

Ramirez made $22.7 million with the Red Sox in 2018. But, after his performance drop-off, he should become an affordable first baseman for a team that wants veteran presence for a year or two.

Ramirez has some remarkable credentials. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2006 when he played for the Marlins. With the Marlins, he was a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner. He received MVP votes three times with the Marlins and once with the Dodgers. Of active position players, he ranks 23rd in WAR between Josh Donaldson and Ryan Zimmerman.

At age 34, he should still have something to give to a team. As a comparison, Ian Kinsler, at age 37, won the Gold Glove award. In today’s MLB, a 34-year-old first baseman or DH isn’t unheard of.  Ramirez could be a useful veteran on a team that can convince him to play for a reasonable contract.

The list of free agents for second base is loaded with talent from years past. Players like Jed Lowrie, Brian Dozier, Ian Kinsler, and Josh Harrison used to read like a who’s who list of game changers.

At age 35 with the A’s, Lowrie had one of the best seasons of his career and at age 37, Kinsler won his second Gold Glove award and his first World Series ring. From the NL side, DJ LeMahieu is drawing attention from teams at lower altitudes.

The player who could be an under-the-radar signing is Daniel Descalso, formerly of the D-Backs, Rockies, and Cardinals. He bats from the left but is a right-handed player. At age 32, he is a career .240/.324/.370 hitter. And, while he’s grouped with the second basemen, he spent almost as much time at third base in 2018

Utility players are hot commodities. In his nine seasons in the MLB, he has played everywhere except catcher and center field. During his two seasons with the D-backs, he has played everywhere but catcher, center field, and right field. He is a better defender in the infield, but there is something to be said about a guy who can play all over the field.

He’s an incredibly affordable player. His highest salary was $2 million with the D-backs in 2018. And, he’s got a World Series ring that he earned in 2011 with the Cardinals, where he went 2-3. He has played in several post-season series in four seasons with the Cards and with the D-backs in 2017.

He’s a solid player who is definitely under the radar. He could be useful for a team that needs a quiet and steady utility player, but doesn’t want to pay what Marwin Gonzalez-esque money.

Yes, Mike Moustakas really isn’t an under-the-radar player, especially since he played in game seven of the NLCS with the Brewers.

And yes, he earned a World Series ring when he was with the Royals where he batted .304 in the five-game series against the Mets.

But, of the third baseman, he’s the difference-maker who isn’t given the respect he deserves. Remember the 2017-2018 off-season? The one where Moustakas declined the Royals qualifying offer, then signed for a fraction – literally, a third of a that offer – with the Royals? Then, the Brewers gave him $1 million NOT to play for them in 2019.

Moustakas is certainly not the best third basemen in the 2019 free agent class. That honor goes to Josh Donaldson and Manny Machado. But, Moustakas isn’t awful. And, he’s managed to help teams get to the post-season. He’s a two-time All-Star with the Royals and has added power to his swing in his last two seasons as he hit 38 home runs in 2017 and 28 in 2018.

At age 30, he’s still in his prime years and could add more power to his swing. And, he continues to have average or slightly above-average range at third.

This under-rated player is due for someone to pay him more than the $5.5 he made in 2018 or the $8.7 million he made in 2017. There are rumors that the Cardinals are interested in him and with his quiet presence on the field, he would be a good fit there. Hopefully, his next signing involves more respect.

No shortstop is getting more attention that Manny Machado, which technically makes all of the other free agents under-the-radar players.

The player who could be an under-the-radar shortstop is Jose Iglesias who has spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Tigers. He was acquired in a massive Dave Dombrowski trade with the BoSox and the ChiSox that involved Avisail Garcia, Brayan Villareal, and Jake Peavy.

Iglesias has been a fan favorite in Detroit for his acrobatic defensive plays. He also has delivered a few clutch moments at the plate, too. While he’s not a power hitter by any means, Iglesias (or Iggy as Tigers fans affectionately called him) has a knack for getting on base. In 2018, he only struck out 47 times in 464 plate appearances.

He’s spent time learning defense from Omar Vizquel and avoiding strikeouts from Victor Martinez. Any team that needs a shortstop for under $400 million would do well signing Iglesias. His name has popped up as a rumored substitute for Didi Gregorius. Yankees fans would like his defense, while he’s doesn’t make the tags with the same flair as Javier Baez, Iglesias knows how to put on a show.

The one downside with Iglesias is his fragility. He has been on the DL nearly every season. He missed all of the 2014 season recovering from stress fractures in his shins. In 2018, he had issues with an abdominal muscle causing him to miss the end of the season.

If he can stay healthy, Iglesias could be a difference maker both offensively and defensively. He is also affordable, especially compared to the competition.

Only five center fielders are in the free agent market. Of those, only two have WARs that are not negative. Only one of them is getting much more press: A.J. Pollock.

With only five in the market, it is difficult to pick an under-the-radar value, but Adam Jones is my choice. Eric Young, Jr., Rajai Davis, and Austin Jackson were the others.

It might be difficult to think of Adam Jones as ever being under the radar, but at age 33, he’s lost a little steam. Jones is one of the most competitive players in the MLB and even at age 33, he’s still got value.

He might not be Mike Trout, but his 2018 slash – on the worst team in the MLB – ranked him in the top 10 in centerfielders. He hit .281/.313/.419 with 15 home runs and 63 RBI. Remember, the Orioles only won 47 games in 2018.

Jones might not make the highlight-reel plays that he once did, but he can still stop a ball. Looking at his range in the outfield, he might be a better pick up for a team that needs a corner outfielder. He might not be the best choice for a team with a massive centerfield, like that in Colorado or Detroit. But, make no mistake, Jones is a difference maker, especially in the clubhouse.

He made $17 million with the Orioles in 2018 and rumors are that the O’s will re-sign the franchise face. But, it would be nice if Jones could be added to a contending team, even as a bench outfielder. He’s a five-time All-Star and a three-time Gold-Glove winner. He’s also earned several MVP votes during the heyday of the recent Orioles.

No right fielder is getting more press than Bryce Harper. With all of the press he’s getting, it might come as a surprise to hear how loaded the right-field free-agent list actually is. Think Andrew McCutchen, Nick Markakis, and Lonnie Chisenhall.

My under-the-radar pick is Carlos Gonzalez. Like Adam Jones, Car-Go is not an unknown, especially in the NL. And, at age 33, he’s also still got a lot in the tank.

Gonzalez has spent the majority of his career with the Rockies where he has a respectable slash of .290/.349/.516. He has been in three All-Star Games under his belt and probably should have had a few more, but right field is loaded with outstanding players.

Gonzalez has one of the most beautiful left-handed swings in the game. At some point, he could be a valuable DH for an AL team. But, as he’s only spent one short season in the AL when he played for the Oakland A’s in 2008, most AL fans don’t know much about him.

Over the past few seasons, his range has dropped slightly below average, but Coors Field has one of the largest outfields in the MLB. Of course, time is not his friend and this off-season might be the time that he is signed by an AL team and he starts DHing more often.

He was a free agent in the 2017-2018 offseason and was signed by the Rockies for $5 million. After his 2017 salary of $20 million, that was a significant drop. He could continue to be a value for the Rockies and for any other team that doesn’t want to pay $400 million for a right fielder.

Nearly every team has a need for at least one new starting pitcher and there are plenty to choose from – including Bartolo Colon.

With the massive number of free agent pitchers on the market, there were several names of under-the-radar pitchers who could come up big. But, one stood out: Matt Harvey

The Dark Knight who was once the hope for all Mets fans seemed to fizzle under the bright lights of the Big Apple. After years of struggling with the front office and with his health, Harvey was traded to Cincinnati. And, he did well there.

With the right team, Harvey could be amazing. As much as I hate using that trite adjective, he really could amaze fans. He’s got the stuff. He’s got the presence on the mound. He’s got the attitude.

He’s also got the price. He made $5.6 million in 2018. Of course, this is his first round of free agency, but after all of his drama with the Mets, he won’t garner the same contract that a drama-free player like Corbin will.

His best season was 2013 when he had an ERA of 2.27. Post Tommy John surgery, his best season was 2015 when he had a 2.71 ERA in 29 games and 189.1 innings – which may have been his downfall. That’s a lot of innings to pitch returning from Tommy John surgery. After 2016, he couldn’t get below the uppers fours. With Cincinnati, his ERA was the lowest since 2015 at 4.50.

It appears that for Harvey to succeed, he needs to remain under the radar. His veteran presence would be valued at a rebuilding team like the White Sox, Royals, or Tigers.

In the 2017-2018 offseason, no free agent market was hotter than the relief market. This offseason, no market has more notable players. Craig Kimbrel, Andrew Miller, and Zach Britton are on the radar of the national media.

Other players like Joe Kelly and Joakim Soria are receiving attention for their hard work during the post-season. But, they aren’t under the radar.

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The relief pitcher who could be affordable and payoff big is Brad Brach. He’s been second fiddle to Zach Britton for several years when both were with the Orioles. In his final season with the O’s, he pitched an ERA of 4.85 in 42 games.

But, at the July trade deadline, he was traded to the Braves. That trade gave him new life and he recorded an ERA of 1.52 in 27 appearances.

Brach is a workhorse and has several seasons with over 60 games. He’s usually the guy to take over in the 7th or 8th, but he can close games, too. He had 12 saves in 2018 and 11 holds.

Because he’s not a household name or a dedicated closer, he won’t get the money that Kimbrel or Miller will get. But, he should get something and he could become a household name on the right team.

At age 33, he’s one of the younger free agent relievers. Other than his short season with the Braves, he’s pitched for the Orioles and the Padres. He doesn’t blow pitches by at 100 MPH, but his fastball-changeup combination seems to do the job well.